Coffee Exports Rise 57 pc in Jan-Nov to 2.71 L tn.

NEW DELHI: Coffee exports from India rose by over 57 per cent in the first 11 months of the current year to 2.71 lakh tonnes buoyed by increased production.

The country had docked 1.72 lakh tonnes coffee during the January-November period of the last year, Coffee Board data revealed on Wednesday.

Asia's largest coffee exporter, India had exported 2.04 lakh tonnes coffee in 2009-10, up from 1.96 lakh tonnes in the 2008-09 fiscal.

"India exports 70 per cent of its coffee production. A rise in production thus results in increased shipments. This apart, overseas demand has been strong," a Board official said.

According to Coffee Board estimates, production in India during the year is likely to go up to 3.08 lakh tonnes from 2.89 lakh tonnes last year.

India's biggest coffee market overseas are Italy, Germany and Russia . Together, these three countries constitute over 40 per cent of India's total exports.

With the projected spurt in output, Coffee Board has been encouraging exporters to look beyond the traditional markets of Japan and the US, the world's largest consumer of the beverage.

"The US is the world's largest coffee-consuming nation. They consume more than our entire output in a year. Japan has also a good market. So our motive will be exporting as much as possible in these markets," Coffee Board Chairman Jawaaid Akhtar said recently.

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com